Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1887-07-14
CHAPTER XXvII.


all in his power to persuade her to
marry him; but while the leafy month
of June lastec she was firm and deter
mined. She would not be married yet;
nothing could induce her. But she h al
to teal with nature and q will stronger
than her own. Before the end OF the
first week in July she was tired of say
ing mo" She could not be angry with
hun, he was so devoted to her; he was
q princely wooer. She knew she had
at her feet the best match in England
the man whom all the matrons and
maidens of Belgravla were seeking,
and she felt the compliment ofhis pref
erence. She grew tired Of saying no."
because the oftener she repeated it, the
more he persevered. By the end Of the
first week in July she had promi Led to
marry him IL her father would consent.
Then the young duk3 went to Lord
Stair and pleaded his cause with him.
TIE lines OF tue pretty old song fioated
in his brain;
"My love she's out lsssie yet.
She was young, he knew, but youth
is the time for love and happiness.
ave will see what. Eth 1 says" Lord
Stair replied, and Ethel was sent for.
Sle came in, looking very beautiful
and very shy. Lord Stairs thou III s
went back TO the day when he h I'd
asked Cyril Marine TO give him Nj ,r-
guerite, aud he answered that she was
child. Now his turn had co me. 1t
seemed but yesterday that he stood In
the pretty room at lnis all, and now
ali fair, sweet Marguerite! 1t had ended
bad for her. Beautiful Ethel comes
forword slowly. her face flus red and
the dark eyes droo oed; she wear.
crimson passi0n-iow In her dress OF
pale amber; she comes forward with
the delicate, dainty grace of young
queen. Lord Stair held out his hand
and drew her to him.
my dear Ethel, l want 20 hear what
you have to say on very important
subject" he began.
The young duke locked on In fever
of i'm atience. He thought to himself
that ifany arm went round tn 1t beauti-
full figure il should be his-that IL her
beautiful head rested OIL any breast,
surely IL should be his. He was In a
fever of Impotence, which Mistress
Ethel was quick enough TO see. She
remembered what he had said about
the wind, the moonbeam. and the pas
sion-fower. he were jealous Of these,
he would hardly care to see her fathers
caresses: and he had leased her so about
being married, that she was not sorry
he should suffer just little.
so Mis- ress Ethel bent her beautiful,
st ltely head, and kissed her fathers
face. She knew that her impatient
lover would have given his life 70" q
kiss, and she had the grlce to hide her
own face the moment afterward.
Ethel" repeated Lord Stair, 81
want to hear what you vour'elf have {,
say on the most important subject in
your life"
Ethel" cried her lover. inpatient
", "do not turn your head away-do
listen."
~ am listening" replied Ethel in a
tone of resignation.
"But, Ethel, be interested, be
earnest" cried the young duke.
Listen to what Lord Stair has to
say"
~ think it is you duke, who has the
most t, saw" replied Lord Stai:. Ethel,
the d Ike Is growing impatient"
Papa" shs interrupted, "he has
never been anything else"
Ethel, IL You would but turn YOU
face tins way anu listen" criei her
lover; but Ethel would MT 10 TX at him.
"Tne duke Is growing impatient
my dear, and he wants the marriage to
be FASTENED. What do you say?"
II say, papa, that [ have never h ad
any peace since 1 first promised to try
to like him."
1t was not with anger that the dear
voice trembled.
"What must the end oft be, Ethel?"
asked her father gravely.
"A wedding-ring" cried the duke,
land the sooner 1t is placed on the
white hand love, the happier shall
be. Oh, Ethel, do not send me away
again. l know you are young. but
poets and philosophers tell Us youth Is
the time for happiness. Why should
you send NE away until next Christmas:
shall be miserable, and you are not
cruel enough to wish 20 see me wretehed.
Let us be married while the sun sh mes,
and the sum ner flowers are all alive
while the birls are singing and the
skies are blue. Oh, Ethel, say yes,
darling; say yes."
Perseverance overcomes every diff
Guilty, Tue Duke Of Meath had gone to
Oakclfe, uncert lin as to whether he
should win hearing from his beautiful
gained a complete ald per ,ect victory.
1t was arran Sed that the mlrriage
should take place in the month Of
August.
Papa" asked Ethel, that same night,
"You cay my mother loved me very
much in Iced. Did she ever talk to you
abo 1T my future life?"
A pain like the wound Of a sharp
knife pierced his heart when he RENE n
bered how title he had talked in those
days to Marxuerits-how he had smut
hims up with his DO )ks, and left his
young wife. to her own devices
IL do not remember that she did so,
my dear. You were 80 young"
do you think she would like Fulke.
pap,? Is he the kind OF man she
liked?"
81 should think So" he replied,
vaguely.
1t struck him how little he knew,
after all, Of his young wife's likes and
tastes.
Ethel drew back with an air of disap-
pointInent.
PA "a" she said gently. "althoug1
you love my mothers memory so much,
YOU do not seem to have remembered
her tastes. What kind Of men did she
like? OF course you were her ideal,
and you have the dark beauty Of the
Stairs"
It occurred to him that she had known
but very few men, her father and David
Arson In the old life, himself and Darcy
Este in the new. What sh ,rt, brief,
empty lite 1t had been a'tef all II,
must answer; those dark magnificent
ewes of Ethel,s co npelled an answer